I saw a story today on The Paypers website claiming that two thirds of those on the Internet use their online banking credentials on other sites and programs.

Make your banking credentials unique only to your banking - don't use the same access data when visiting your non-secure sites, your social networking sites or to log in anywhere else. They were reporting on a survey conducted by online security services company Trusteer, which reported that 73% of banking customers use their same account password to access other sites, and fully 47% use both their online user name AND their password to log in at other online accounts.

The foundation for the results was a sample of over four million, many of whom hold bank accounts with the leading North American and European banks.

The obvious outcome here is that criminals are devising ways to spider and accumulate access data from a myriad of websites and then testing it against financial services sites for those users to gain access and commit fraud.

Protect Yourself, keep your online banking access info unique only to your more secure financial accounts...

The point of setting up a Facebook page for your business is to brand an identity that stands out from the crowd and presents your enterprise as a unique and interesting entity in a sea of other Facebook business pages all crying out for attention. One of the easiest ways to establish your Facebook page as a solid representation of your business is to use customizable applications (apps) to display your branded content, images and links.

Static FBML

One of the coolest tools on the market is Static FBML. FMBL stands for Facebook Markup Language (think HTML), and this app will allow you to quickly and easily customize the look and feel of your Facebook page through the display of boxes, tabs and more. By creating boxes to display content and links throughout to direct your fans or friends back to your website, you create another sort of link – a direct means of communication with you and your business through Facebook. Many businesses make the mistake of just throwing up a Facebook page “because everyone else has one,” and miss out on all the interactive benefits of having such a page online to communicate with customers, increase your customer base and, quite simply, get the “word out” to the masses about what your business has to offer.

Of course you’ll want to add your company’s logo to increase brand awareness and help current customers to identify your business on Facebook, but you’ll also want to include links to specific content, products or special offerings back on your website to bring that traffic back “home.” You can use Static FBML to invite fans to join your mailing list, get discounts or special offerings through your site – even highlight special promotions, contests or events – all in an easy to use content box on your Facebook page.

The FBML app is easier to use than a WYSIWYG (What-You-See-Is-What-You-Get) HTML Editor Tool. You simply click “edit” and enter a title for the box, then paste in the HTML code that you want added to your Facebook page. You can cut-and-paste this from your current business site or create something specific for Facebook. Obviously, the more experience you have with HTML, the more you will be able to do with Static FBML on Facebook, but even with just the most basic HTML skills you can easily and quickly create a nice-looking well-branded box for your page.

Social RSS

Another great way to tie in your business website and brand with your Facebook page is to display your company’s RSS feeds. A quick and easy way to automate this delivery is to use Social RSS (formerly known as RSS-Connect), one of the most popularly used apps in Facebook. By integrating your site’s content through RSS feeds, you will ensure that the content on your site is updated daily – even if you are unable to specifically update your Facebook page by hand.

You can plug the Social RSS app in on your Facebook page in another box tab or add it to your wall. Your fans and friends can also subscribe to your RSS feed directly from the Facebook app, giving you yet another way to communicate and interact daily with your customers. Once you add Social RSS to your Facebook page, just click “edit” as before and you can customize the app with your own feed’s URL. There are also a lot of feed settings that you can adjust – like adding a title to the feed, selecting how often you want the feed updated, setting display options, and more.

Facebook Events

Another great way to interact with consumers is to broadcast information on your Facebook page about special events – discounts, offerings, content updates or even live appearances. Use Facebook Events to easily tell your fans all about your event. Just access Facebook Events by clicking on the calendar icon under your Status Box. An Events details window will open and you can add a new event by simply providing a title, location, date and time for the event – you can even add a link back to your website for more details.

Once your event has been published on your Facebook page, your fans can RSVP to attend the event by selecting three pre-set options: “attending,” “not attending” or “maybe attending.” This will help you have an idea of how many fans are interested in your event, find out if your events are attracting attention and even plan other events more effectively in the future. Fans can also attach an RSVP note and share information about your event on their own Facebook profiles with their friends. It’s an excellent way to quickly market your business and event virally, expanding your customer base with just a few simple clicks.

There are tons of useful apps out there for Facebook users to use to enhance their pages. To explore, just choose the Edit Page and select “Browse More Applications” or search for apps from your personal Facebook Profile.

There's an old saying that "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence," and it serves as a cautionary tale by using the example of cattle that become trapped after getting their head stuck in a fence while trying to graze on what always seems to be the ripest rewards — waiting there, ever so slightly beyond their reach — if only they could stick their heads out just a little bit more...

This pursuit of "something better than you have" can often lead you down the path of the unwary cow, causing unexpected and problematic issues to suddenly be reveled in the wake of "solving" other problems, or acquiring new "solutions."

For example, shifting business models among adult websites are seeing traditionally free access properties turning to paid content models, while some formerly premium websites are battling dwindling subscriber bases by adopting free access / ad supported business models — with varying degrees of success.

Things are much the same in the mainstream world, where a solution to one problem can pave the way for a host of other dilemmas.

For example, stymied by a drop in newspaper circulation due to readers' preference for reading free news online, New York's Newsday turned its Newsday.com into a paysite — a seemingly "perfect" solution that transferred yesterday's familiar paid circulation model to the medium that consumer's desired.

I can imagine the enthusiastic agreement around the board room as this pay-to-play decision was made: "That's great — we'll give the people what they want and charge them just like they're used to paying for our regular paper."

Three months later, the site has reportedly only subscribed 35 members and has seen a 50 percent drop in traffic. While not all traffic is good traffic, 35 subscribers is nothing for a "major" publisher to boast about — although print issue subscribers as well as premium cable TV subscribers receive free access to the website.

News of the stunningly low subscriber number came out during recent union contract negotiations and shocked stakeholders on all sides of the equation, including some staff members who were dismayed over the brand's seemingly drastic drop in prominence — with nothing to show for it.

"People were expecting it to make money," a Newsday staffer who was at the union meeting was reported as saying. "If it's not, why are we doing it?"

"Why are we doing it?" — The question is as complicated as it is simple, and while there can be value in running a loss leader, for most online adult operators, the bottom line must be the bottom line. If your current operation is making money — even if it's not as much money as you would like — think long and hard about the possible implications of making drastic changes for what could be little to no reward. Otherwise, you risk being caught by the head while trying to eat grass that really is no greener than your own.

Webbilling.com has added a specific join page for display to iPhone users. You asked for it, you got it! The iPhone join page for Webbilling.com allows users to access the Webbilling direct debit solution while surfing on their phones in Germany, Austria, Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom - add this capability in these prime markets. As more and more users search for and enter their preferred websites via their iPhones, merchants need the ability to accept payments by all methods on the iPhone as well.

2009 statistics (admob.com) are clearly showing that the iPhone enjoys a significant lead in worldwide Smartphone market share in regards to Web usage – estimated at 65%, and it appears it will hold steady even through the advent of the Android handsets. A review of the statistics by region shows the United States and the West European countries well ahead of any other part of the world.

We all know that the easier it is for the visitor to pay, the easierit is to capture the join. You really must cater to the surfing needs of every user online when it comes to billing. If your site has been created iPhone friendly, but the billing page doesn’t work properly on the device, you are not helping your conversions and maximizing revenue.

Webbilling.com offers two very effective billing methods for Europe: Direct Debit (where funds are withdrawn directly from the end customers’ bank accounts) and Advanced Direct Pay (where the user can take advantage of the ability to wire money to local bank accounts), and more on the way. Education in the credit and debt culture in Europe is the first step in understanding how the Webbilling solutions can add significant revenue to the bottom line of every ecommerce enterprise with EU traffic, without cannibalizing merchants’ credit card sales. These potential non-card users are in your current traffic; merchants must ensure they are able to take their payments, and now that includes payments while surfing on the iPhone.

For more information on the Webbilling.com non-card payment platform for Europe, please visit the website, or Write: marketing@webbilling.com for more information and see how easy it is to get started.

“Get It Now” factor a vital force for Internet users…

Getting consumers to pay for content has been a challenge for Web developers since the beginning of the Internet. Many business models do work and consumers do pay for content – some on a regular, monthly or annual basis – so it is possible to find success with a content-driven site. However, there is one factor that many developers neglect to consider – price.

A recent survey conducted in the UK showed that users are getting more familiar with the idea of getting long-running video content – such as full-length videos, movies, television programs, etc. – over the Internet. Because this form of entertainment is replacing more commonly used methods – such as purchasing physical DVDs, renting DVDs or buying Pay-Per-View showings through their televisions – businesses are finding that consumers are willing to pay to watch online – just not as much.

Surveys conducted by Olswang and YouGov revealed that price was THE most important deciding factor – with over 50% saying that they would purchase and download a movie rather than buy or rent it on DVD if it was cheaper. Most also said that they would prefer to stream a movie online rather than rent a DVD – mostly because of the convenience and ability to view the video immediately rather than waiting for a rental or going to the store.

Whether you work in the adult industry or a mainstream e-commerce sector, this is important market trend information. It tells us that as consumers become more familiar with a technology or method of content delivery, the easier it will be to sell other things to them in the future. Consumer confidence is essential – especially when attempting to sell content via a new technology. Your target audience needs to be comfortable with purchasing video or other types of content over the Internet. If they have a good initial experience, chances are they will be back for more.

Another “nice to have” feature mentioned by the survey group was the ability to rent or view video content for more than a single 24-hour period – something the adult industry has been doing for awhile. Many adult video programs give users the option to download for purchase, burn to DVD, rent for a 24-hour, 7-day or 30-day period – even rent XXX films a la carte, or by the scene. In the UK survey, users stated “short rental windows” as their *chief complaint* against mainstream online video rental services.

As proven in many business models such as eBay’s “buy it now” and the iTunes instant music downloads – the UK surveyors also found that the “get it now” factor was a driving force for Internet users. Young adults were especially excited about the possibility of being able to view content online before it was available on DVD or in other formats – a hint to content developers looking to expand their online markets.

I read a story in a magazine the other day that made me chuckle at first, but later made me wonder if it might have some basis in fact. The article looked at the science behind computer hard drives weighing more when they are full of data than they do when empty. What's more, it is claimed that video data is measurably heavier than other types of data, because, some experts note, video data typically contains more "ones" — and ones weigh more than zeros.

This of course refers to the electronic stream of 'ones' and 'zeros' that make up the binary universe at the root of all digital technology. The individual bits making up this data stream, some say, weigh more than others based upon their polarity-driven interaction with the earth's magnetic field.

At first, the basic thought of electricity having an actual weight to it that alters perceptibly based on what that current is representing seemed far-fetched, but this fantastic claim intrigued me, and a few days later, my curiosity led me to Bing the topic, where I found a discussion which questions if the weight of a hard drive changes depending on how much (and what) data is stored in it.

While the verity of the mathematics involved in the analysis is beyond me, it fascinates me to think that entirely unexpected things are happening at the most basic levels of computer operation. Perhaps the guys behind Tron were on to something…

A recent survey referenced in an eMarketer article supports what you might expect - that consumers are excited about the advances made in technology – and the proof is in the increased confidence in sales via Web and Mobile based sources. The Pew Research Center for the People & Press (say that 10 times fast!) reveals that consumers are most excited about cellphones – about 69% believe that advances in mobile phones had improved their lives – a definite “change for the better.” 65% of respondents also believed that e-mail and the Internet were both positive technology changes in their lives.

Specific to mobile technology, consumers were also asked about advanced handheld devices such as Blackberrys and iPhones. Both were deemed to be relatively popular, although 25% of those surveyed felt that these technologies were a “change for the worse.” Out of those surveyed, young adults seemed to embrace the advancements in “smartphone” technology, and users 65+ were about 50/50 in acceptance of these changes.

Despite higher numbers than ever for online shopping and consumer confidence in 2009, the Pew Researchers found that their consumer group was not as satisfied with online shopping experiences as you might think. Only about 54% of those surveyed thought that online shopping and e-commerce were a “positive change,” with young adults liking it – surprisingly – even less than seniors and middle aged adults.

The public is still unsure about social networking – even though it seems like everyone is using it these days. Cited as making “no difference” as opposed to “change for the worse” or “change for the better,” social networking sites made this consumer survey group a bit ambivalent. About 50% had a positive impression, but the 65+ group stated that it didn’t know enough about social networking to determine whether it was good or bad. But even those who use social media, such as Twitter, MySpace, Facebook, etc. still had mixed feelings. Female users aged 12-21 cited that they felt they spent “too much time” using social media, which might be why they were unsure if it was a positive change.

Consumer confidence – or lack thereof – should give all Web and Mobile Web Developers cause to take a step back and look at where they are investing their marketing and technology spending the most. If consumers are unsure whether or not social media is right for them or not, you should really beware of how much you are focusing on this technology. Instead, spread out your focus between more traditional means of networking, communication and marketing while continuing to evaluate the effectiveness and popularity of social media.

For those getting into mobile media and marketing, be sure to continue to include marketing to standard mobile services and not just place all your focus on apps for iPhone/Android and other smartphone users. The bulk of consumers are still using 3G-type mobile phones and even the “big guys” in mobile are unsure of how deeply more advanced devices will penetrate the market in the current economic downturn.

The bottom line is that you should always be ready to evolve as technology advances, but you definitely need to remember to pay attention to your customer base and address their needs and interests first. Forward-thinking is essential, but keeping your current customers happy, satisfied and receiving your latest content/updates is vital to the continued success of your business.

One of the first steps to success is to learn everything you can about your site’s visitors. It doesn’t matter what type of site you run – be it a service-oriented site such as Web hosting, a product-sales site including toy-sites and DVD-sites, a hub/portal, a pay-subscription site or even a free site – you should find out more about your traffic. You can achieve this in a number of ways, the first of which should always be through good Web statistics.

A good stats program can tell you where your traffic is coming from, what language your visitors speak, what browser and O/S version they are using – even what screen resolution they use for optimum viewing satisfaction. A great stats program will tell you things such as how your site’s visitors found you – either via search engines, link lists or other referring sites – and most will usually even tell you what search terms were used to locate your site. Quite a few excellent stats programs will give you even more information – they can track individual visitors from the entry page to the exit page, and some will even tell you what link or banner ad they clicked when they left your site.

By scrutinizing this statistical information, you can paint a pretty clear picture of what your traffic wants, what they come to your site to find – and even whether they found it or not before they ultimately left. Knowing the search terms/keywords used can help you know more about the niche, product or service your visitors are looking for so you can add the most relevant content, make the path to find the “object of desire” even easier than before – AND better target their needs and interests overall.

You can’t please ALL the surfers ALL the time, but if you regularly check your stats you can spot trends and hot topics early on so you can adapt, make changes and take advantage of them while they're “hot.”

For tips on software and answers to all sorts of questions you've been pondering over, join the discussions at XBIZ.net

Well, it finally happened after all this time: last night, Santa Claus came a bit early and brought my lovely wife and I a pair of shiny new 32GB iPhone 3G S's.

No longer will I have to read about all of the cool apps and things that I can do with this little digital powerhouse. I can now use these tools for myself — and share some of the better ones with you here at XBIZ. I tell you this not to boast about our cool new toys, er, "tools," but to delve into some of the basic consumer psychology of our purchase process.

You see, we did not need to buy new phones. My Motorola Razr worked just fine for making calls; and as a top-of-the-line Razr, my photos, videos and Internet access using it were "ok." I had added a bunch of memory to it so it could hold more photos, but rarely used it for calling anyone. Likewise, my wife found her pink Razr comforting and was reluctant to upgrade.

But she likes to text with her kids — and the Razr's keypad is woefully small — so the iPhone's full keyboard and larger display make that easier and were her hot button. For me, however, what pushed me over the edge were the brackets.

In the macro-sense, the iPhone's appeal transcends basic telephone call making to include all of its many other uses — uses that are enabled or enhanced by using a variety of unique brackets to extend the iPhone's capabilities. For example, a small bracket enables you to mount the iPhone to your car's windshield for use as a GPS.

What got me, however, was the bracket that mounts the iPhone to your video camera, allowing it to be used as a teleprompter — as long as you have the app and service to enable it. In one version, the iPhone is a direct display device, suitable for smaller DV type cams. A larger version uses the iPhone as the monitor in a more typical "mirror and hood" setup, suitable for bigger cameras and studio settings.

This breadth of gee-whiz functionality is far too compelling to ignore, and far too handy not to have, so we relented and put the units at the top of our Christmas list. Old Saint Nick must have been nearby (or at least close to the AT&T Small Business Center), because he heard our requests and presto — a whole new level of technology is now ours.

The lesson here is that even if your customer does not need a product or service, he still may purchase and use it for sundry purposes far removed from what the manufacturer may have originally intended. For example, using a phone as a flashlight when putting your key into the car door at night.

Savvy marketers will find new and innovative uses or 'benefits' for their offers and keep presenting them until traction is established with consumers — and be ready to capitalize on unexpected sources of synergistic sales.

Apple tried to sell me an iPhone for a couple of years now, without success.

An ad for a teleprompter bracket in a B&H Photo / Video mailer finally sealed the deal.

A well-written press release can dramatically increase your sales, expose your company to the masses, and greatly enhance the image of your business or products. However, make certain your release does not sound like a sales pitch. Of course marketing and branding go hand in hand even if you’re writing about staging trade shows or technical conferences or even announcing the latest industry technologies, trends, products and services, but it’s the way the message is conveyed that is key to composing winning copy to capture the full attention of the greatest number of readers.

When writing a news release, ask yourself, “Why do people value our existence?” Your brand is meaningless if it does not positively resonate with your target customers; it is essential that you are organized to deliver something they value highly. Knowing your reading audience, and thus your ‘customers’ be they webmasters or end users, will help ensure that you have the ability to emphasize and deliver something important and to establish positive associations about your company and services in their minds.

Since one of the prime initial considerations of the press release is to appeal to a media outlet, it is essential that certain conditions are met to create an interesting piece. If your objective is to publish an article or interview, or initiate some type of future follow-up or appearance, then creating a stimulating press release is a key way to start. However, even if you meet all of the requirements of creating an interesting release there is no guarantee that the selected media will publish it. Carefully consider all the steps in this list when composing your release:

• Make certain the information is newsworthy.
• The first ten words of your release are the most important, and should cover the five Ws and H – Who? What? When? Where? Why? and How? You must convince the media outlet and subsequently its readers to continue reading because the information you are presenting is in their best interests.
• Start with a brief description of the core news and only then distinguish who is making the announcement.
• Ask yourself, "How is my reading audience going to relate to my news, and will they make the connection to my company and its products or services?"
• Avoid excessive use of adjectives and fancy language, save them for a follow up article on your website or in the media outlet. In the release, deal only with the facts.
• Provide as much contact information as possible: Name and contact details of the company spokesperson including address, phone, fax, email, website address and an after-hours number.
• A release should be concise, direct, succinct, and not longer than two pages typed in 12pt Times Roman with double spacing – one page is better.
• Use a minimum of one-inch margins on each side of the page and center the body of the release on the page.
• Complete a paragraph on one page rather than carry it over onto the next page.
• Print the release on your company letterhead or plain white bond paper if you are mailing. Use only one side of each sheet of paper.
• When you’ve completed the release, it is essential to proofread the release several times, preferably read it out loud which will help you identify grammar and factual errors you may have missed. You cannot have too many eyes, so have someone else read it over for an additional objective opinion.
• Always bear in mind that while your underlying premise may be to dramatically increase your sales and greatly enhance the image of your business, it is important not to make blatant advertising the focal point.
• Write about yourself or the company in the third person, using "he, she, they, the company."
• Always attempt to include relevant quotes and reactions.
• If you can support the fact that your event is the largest or first, you can use these superlatives to your advantage.

A great way to generate specific ideas for your newsworthy release is to ask how you can fulfill the key needs of your customers, how to win over customers to evaluate and recognize the value you offer, and what is important to them. What do you want to be known for? The message relayed through your release should be about how your company or its products and services will benefit the readers and the community at large. For example, “Adding the Webbilling.com direct debit platform can enable you to give access to an additional +70% of the European market which cannot join your program by credit card …”

Typical news angles include celebrating an anniversary, presenting or receiving an award, announcing an appointment, conducting a poll or survey, opening a new office, website or service, interviewing a celebrity or industry personality, staging a debate about a controversial topic, sponsoring an event, issuing a protest, providing valuable feedback following a successful tradeshow or conference; or issuing a report on innovative trends within the industry. A good example of a newsworthy release is to provide information about a new product or service that will save people time, make life easier, or the all-important one – impact your bottom line in the positive direction.

What is the secret formula for creating a global brand and becoming a segment leader? Stay tuned for more marketing and press release ideas!